Small Favors
by Aya37
Summary: Yaoi: JouxSeto. Rape, Death, Alternate Universe. Seto finds himself in the grip of a cruel, perverted businessman. If you are easily disturbed, I recommend you read something else.
1. Chapter 1

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A.N.: This is a romantic fan fiction between two male characters from the show and manga called Yu-Gi-Oh. If you don't want to read about this sort of relationship between two men, then don't read this story. Constructive criticism and suggestions are extremely welcome. I'm not a major Yu-Gi-Oh fan, so I'll probably get a few things wrong. Also, I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! I do not own Yugi. I do not own Jounouchi. I do not own Seto. I do not even own the computer I used to type this up. Kazuki Takahashi and some random entertainment companies own Yu-Gi-Oh. Oh, how about Shueisha, Inc.? Anyone else own Yu-Gi-Oh? Anyways, like I said, I don't. Now, on to the story!

Seto Kaiba walked along the sidewalk, head lowered to avoid being recognized. His limo was in sight now. He clutched the nondescript paper bag and quickened his pace. Seto had nearly reached the limo when he heard a familiar voice drift out from the alley ahead.

"--to talk to me about, Jou?" Yugi said. Seto stopped. _Jou? _He knew he should just keep walking, but his heart would not let him. He could hide his obsession for the loudmouthed blond from even his brother, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.

Seto peered down the alley and saw that the two boys were facing each other. They would not be able to see him. Katsuya Jounouchi ran his hand through his hair and shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously. Jou valued his friendship with Yugi; he did not want to do anything to ruin it. However, he could not bury his feelings any longer. Jou took a deep breath and looked into Yugi's worried eyes.

"Yugi--I, well, you're a great friend," Jou started. _Ok, Jou, lookin' good, keep goin'. _"And I've started to think of you as more than a friend. I mean, I sort of have a--" Jou struggled to get the word out. Yugi tilted his head thoughtfully, making Jou's breath catch in his throat. "--a crush on you," he continued. The anxious look began to turn to pity. Jou felt tears coming to his eyes and rushed to get out the rest. "What I mean is, I love you, Yugi."

Jou looked down. He could not face Yugi now. Yugi was silent for a moment, trying to think of a tactful turndown. Seto bit his lip and glared at Yugi. His precious puppy was in love with that pathetic whelp? _No, there's still hope,_ Seto reminded himself. At least he knew now that Jou was interested in boys. Yugi put his hand on Jou's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jou. I just don't feel that way about you. I'd still like to be your friend, though."

Yugi smiled up hopefully at the dejected boy. Jou turned away.

"Thanks, Yug. Yeah, that's ok. Uh, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone now."

Jou lowered his head and quickly walked up the alley, hoping to be far from Yugi before he started crying. Seto's heart cried out at the pain in Jou's face. He saw his chance and took it. When Jou reached the sidewalk, Seto grabbed him by the wrist and led him to the limo. Jou gasped in surprise and looked up. "Wha--" he started. Seto tugged at his wrist.

"Just shut up and come with me."

Jou dazedly followed Seto to the vehicle and allowed himself to be shoved into the seat. He couldn't stop his eyes from leaking, but he held back his sobs in a small attempt to keep his dignity in front of his supposed enemy. Seto quietly gave the driver Jounouchi's address and told him to drive slowly, then joined his puppy in the back. Jou shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down. He didn't feel much like fighting. Seto sat across from him and leaned forward. "I saw what happened," he said.

Jou squeezed his eyes shut. "Come to gloat, huh? What now, you going to broadcast it on the evening news?"

"No. You looked like you might do something dangerous."

Jou looked up and snorted.

"What do you care? You'd like that."

Seto shook his head.

"I know how you feel. I've had my eyes on someone, too. If he rejected me... it would be like the end of the world. Like nothing else would matter after that."

Jou peered at the unusually candid brunette. It was hard to think of Kaiba being in love. Hell, it was hard to think of Kaiba even having emotions, though Jounouchi knew he must have some. He suddenly realized just what Seto had said. _He._ So, Seto was gay, too. Jou had to admit, the guy was getting a little nicer. He must have a pretty hard life, even if he was rich. Seto sat back and waited for Jou to make the next move. Jou noticed the wrinkled bag Seto had thrown on the seat.

"So, what'd you buy?"

Seto sat up, startled, then smirked. He had gone this far; he may as well go all the way. He picked up the bag and took out a book. It was an adult manga featuring two handsome men. Jou's eyes widened in amazement. The young C.E.O was human after all. The two boys laughed. For the rest of the ride, they chatted about school and trivial things.

As the limo stopped outside the tenement, Jou leaned in toward Seto and touched his arm. "Look, I'm really grateful for what you did for me today. Next time you need a favor, just ask me, ok?"

Jou left the limousine, waved, and walked towards his apartment. Seto gazed after him, a small smile forcing itself onto his face. So, Jounouchi wasn't madly in love with him yet. So, he hadn't even confessed his true feelings for the boy yet. _Still, this is a good start._


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: Wow, I actually got reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you! By the way, I've made a few small changes in the first chapter. Also, we're going to start getting romantic, and this is the first romantic story I have ever written. If it starts to get cheesy or if the mood starts to fade, hit me really hard with something heavy. And as I said last time, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any character in the show or manga. I suppose I own Otoji Toyoshima, but you can have him. The third chapter is coming soon. It's just taking more time because I needed to do some extra research. I'll have it done today (May 5, 2004, EST). By the way, if you don't like any of the changes I make to these chapters, please complain.

Jou sat up in bed, pondering the day's events. He was not really so disappointed anymore about the end of his infatuation with Yugi. Sure, he was heartbroken at first. It was just like Seto said; nothing mattered anymore. _Man, if Seto hadn't shown up just then. . . . _He had done a lot more than just give Jou a ride home.

Jounouchi replayed the trip in his mind and smiled. Of course he was aware of how handsome Seto was. That meant nothing when they were bitter enemies. Now, Seto's attractive features were magnified by his improving personality. They had become closer in that one, short ride than they had been since the day they met. As Jou lay down and closed his eyes, he decided he would not mind being a bit closer.

* * *

A few weeks passed without any sudden, drastic changes. Jou still kept in contact with Yugi, but the almost obsessive need to see him and talk to him was fading. Meanwhile, his casual friendship with Seto steadily grew. The two boys playfully exchanged insults when they saw each other, and began meeting on weekends. They never talked about Seto's favor; that memory was left to slowly settle itself into a corner of Jou's mind.

Even Seto let himself forget the details of the lucky day that he finally got on his puppy's good side. In fact, it was the last thing on his mind as he shared an after-dinner drink with one of the most powerful men in Japan, Otoji Toyoshima. So far, everything was going smoothly. Seto smiled confidently as he watched the businessman enjoy his sake, but he did not dare congratulate himself yet. There was still time for something to go wrong, and this man could crush Kaiba Corp without even blinking.

Toyoshima leered at Seto. "Now that your brother is tucked away in bed and the servants are . . . occupied, why don't we discuss some more _personal _matters?"

Seto's smile faltered only momentarily before he replied, "As you wish."

"Your brother is growing up to be a handsome young man. He's got quite a bright future ahead of him, hmm?"

_Where is he going with this?_ Seto nodded, trying not to appear worried.

"You know, I have a few friends in businesses . . . unmentionable in polite company who would give a lot to have a boy like Mokuba working for them."

Seto barely avoided dropping his glass.

"What do you want with Mokuba?"

Toyoshima chuckled. "Why, nothing at all, if you give me what I want."

Seto stopped pretending to be calm. "And what would that be?"

Toyoshima leaned towards him and attempted a charming smile that only succeeded in being disturbing. "You, Kaiba. For one full night."

This time, the glass shattered.

"Of course, you are free to refuse, but," Toyoshima placed his hand on Seto's thigh and rubbed it appreciatively, "you know what the consequences would be." He stood up. "You have one day to decide. I will return tomorrow evening."

With that, one of the most powerful men in Japan turned and left the room. Seto shakily got to his feet and pressed a button.

"Please send someone to see Mr. Toyoshima out safely, and have his servants alerted to his departure." The total helplessness of his situation finally hit him, and he struck the wall in anger. A few loosely hung paintings dropped. Seto pressed the button again. "Also, there has been a small accident. Please have it cleaned up." Seto bowed his head and slowly walked to his bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

_A.N.: Please, please don't let me off easy if I do something wrong or something you don't like. If it's an error on my part, I'll do my best to make it better. If it's a matter of opinion, well, I'll still be thankful that you told me about it. I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh._

Jou was pulling on a pair of jeans when he heard a knock at the door. _Probably Mrs. Shibata coming for the rent_, he thought. She _would_ try to catch everyone just before they left for work.

"Hold on a minute!"

He buttoned his pants and jogged to the door.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," he recited as he opened it, "I promise--Seto?"

Seto smirked. "Promise me what, Jounouchi?"

"What are you doing here at this time of morning?" Jou sniffed. "And drunk."

Seto stopped smirking. "I'm not that drunk," he said, "and I need to talk to you." Jou stepped aside and motioned him in.

"So?" Jou asked. Seto sat on the arm of the couch and looked down. Slowly, he described the events of the previous evening. He did not mention any names. His voice wobbled slightly as he came to the after-dinner drinks. Jou's face slowly reddened with anger as Seto finished his story.

"You don't have to take that from him! You're rich, hire a hit man or something."

Seto sighed. "No."

"What do you mean no?" Jou yelled. Seto glared at him.

"Look, mutt, there are a lot of people more powerful than me who would like to see this guy dead. He has trained guards watching him and everything he owns constantly. Even if I did manage to kill him somehow, there are people who will be paid handsomely to investigate his death and ruin his murderer. If I leave, he'll find me. There's no question of whether or not I'm going to--" Seto stopped and closed his eyes. "There's just nothing I can do about it."

Jou began to calm down. He knew Seto hated to be vulnerable. He hated to lose. If there was any way out of this, Seto would have thought of it already.

"So, why tell me all this?"

Seto sighed. This was the reason he had come here; it was the only bit of control he had over the whole situation.

"I want you to be my first, Jou."

Jou opened his mouth and closed it again quickly. Of course, he would not want to lose his virginity to a dirty old man, and how many friends did Seto really have? Jou realized now that he would not want to trade his troubles for Seto's any day. Sure, Jou's life had not been great, but he had people who cared for him. Seto only had Mokuba, and now, Jou. Still, he was reluctant. It felt almost like rape. Would Seto have chosen to do this under normal circumstances? Did it even matter when these were not normal circumstances?

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Seto nodded. Jou walked across the room and entered his bedroom. Seto stood up and followed. He sat down on the bed and tried to mentally prepare himself while Jou fumbled around in his dresser for something. If this had come about as his relationship with Jou naturally deepened, Seto would have been all over him by now. As it was, he was nervous. He had to be on the bottom, of course. But. . . .

"I don't want to be the feminine one."

Jou chuckled. "It doesn't have to work like that, Seto." To Seto's amazement, he finally pulled a few condoms and a small tube from the drawer.

"How--"

"Hey, not everyone buries themselves in work like you do."

Seto felt a stab of jealousy. He grasped Jou's wrist and pulled him close, then put his other hand on the back of Jou's head and crushed their mouths together in a chaste kiss. Jou ran his tongue along Seto's lips, which opened willingly. He caressed the inside of Seto's mouth, and Seto hesitantly copied Jou's movements. His jealousy turned to embarrassment at his lack of experience. _Seto, you idiot. You can't expect him to wait for you when you've never told him. . . . _Seto broke off the kiss and nibbled a path along Jou's jaw. He stopped at Jou's ear and leaned in closer.

"I love you, Jou," Seto whispered. A great weight seemed to have lifted from Jou's shoulders. Though he still felt a bit guilty for not feeling the same, he decided to shove that aside for the moment. For now, he just wanted to shower Seto with all the care and affection he had gone without.


	4. Chapter 4

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A.N.: Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been really busy lately. Just got back from a week long vacation. You can thank New Orleans for this chapter, because I finally figured out what happens next as I burned the Dream Spirits incense that I bought there. As usual, suggestions and complaints are welcome. I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Jou slowly sipped his glass of wine. He wanted his breath to smell of alcohol to explain any differences in his manner and voice, but he could not let himself get drunk. As the limousine came closer to the mansion, Jou practiced looking stern and unfeeling. The idea of someone he cared for being so horribly violated made him sick with rage. Tonight, though, he would have to put aside his hatred of that man and concentrate only on Seto's well being.

The limo finally stopped and the door was opened. Jou kept his head down and slumped slightly as he got out. The servants would expect him to be taller. To his horror, the butler stopped him at the door.

"Excuse me, sir," he began, and Jou's heart leapt into his throat. He was sure the man had seen through his disguise. "Mr. Toyoshima is waiting for you in the library. He has already been provided with drinks. Shall I have anything brought to you?"

Jou resisted the urge to sigh in relief.

"No thank you. I have some business to discuss with him in private. Please see to it that no one disturbs us."

The butler nodded and walked away to pass the instructions to the rest of the staff. Jou walked more confidently than he felt to the library. He knew where it was; the library was one of Seto's favorite places to take his guests. Seto was in his element there.

Jou opened the door and saw his enemy for the first time. He was like a shark. A cold, business-like predator. Jou shoved away his anger and walked towards the empty chair in front of the fireplace. He was happy to see that Toyoshima had almost finished the bottle of wine on the table. Hopefully, Toyoshima would be too drunk to see that he was not Seto. Jou closed and locked the door.

"Good evening, Mr. Kaiba."

Toyoshima arose with some difficulty and bowed just a little, then laughed at "Mr. Kaiba's" deeper, more respectful bow.

"That's how it should be," Toyoshima said, slurring. "I trust you have decided to comply with my request?"

"Yes," Jou replied, "for Mokuba."

He looked away a little, not wanting Toyoshima to get a good look at his face. A new hairstyle and blue contacts could only do so much. Toyoshima came towards him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Come, come, sit. Have a drink; you'll be more relaxed."

He pushed Jou into a chair, and Jou was afraid for a moment that Toyoshima would try to sit on his lap. He leaned over Jou, still holding on to Jou's shoulders. Toyoshima then sat in his own chair, but kept one hand on Jou's leg.

"Here," he said, putting his own glass to Jou's lips, "drink up." Toyoshima tipped the glass towards Jou's closed mouth, where the wine spilled and ran down his neck and the front of his shirt. Toyoshima rose from his seat again and licked his lips.

"Let me get that for you," he said huskily.

Jou stayed still, trying not to shudder in disgust, when he heard a knock on the door. Toyoshima backed away and went to unlock it.

"That must be the new bottle of wine I asked for."

He opened the door and motioned for the servant to enter. Jou recognized the woman; she had been working for Seto for years. He smiled weakly and tried to avoid her gaze as she brought the wine to the end table placed between the chairs. She gasped when she saw the mess Toyoshima had made and brought out a towel from her apron pocket.

"I'm so sorry, did I startle you? I know you told us not to bother you, but I figured you would want someone to bring Mr. Toyoshima's wine. Now, hold still."

She had patted his shirt dry and was attempting to wipe off his face.

"No, please, it's all right. I'll take care of it!"

Jou turned away from her. She knew Seto too well to be fooled by his shoddy disguise. Jou knew he was found out when she grabbed his face and stared at him; she would never do that to Seto in front of a business associate.

"You're not Mr. Kaiba!"

"What?" Toyoshima roared.

He shoved the servant aside and grabbed Jou by his shirt collar.

"Where's Kaiba?"


	5. Chapter 5

A.N.: You know, I'm still not sure where this is going. I have a general plan when I sit down to write, but I don't know how this story, or even this chapter will end. I'm way past the point where I know what I'm doing. It all changed when Seto didn't get raped. Originally, that was going to happen, and then the story would go on with how Seto reacts to it. Heh, good thing I didn't put it in the summary. I have thought of a very violent end to where it seems to be going now, but I don't know if it'll turn out that way. Suggestions are more than welcome. By the way, if you have any unanswered questions that you think should be included in the story (such as, how old are they now, and where is Jou's dad) include that in your review. I don't think any of these chapters are in their final form, and most of them are in their first draft. I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

"Where's Kaiba?"

Jou shook his head, struggling to free himself. Toyoshima whipped out a cell phone.

"I need three guards in the library. Have the limousine ready to leave."

He put away the phone and grabbed one of Jou's wrists, then took his hand off Jou's collar to hold the other wrist. Jou kicked Toyoshima in the groin and yanked his wrist free. He did not bother to escape; Jou could already hear boots pounding towards the room and the library only had one door. He knelt beside the cowering maid and shook her lightly.

"Miss Morishita!"

She looked up fearfully.

"Seto is at my house," Jou whispered. He gave her the address. "Go get him, and hide Mokuba. Got it?"

She nodded. Jou jumped up and searched the room for a weapon. He wouldn't go down without a fight. Jou leaped to get the wine bottle, but seconds too late. He hardly felt the pain of the blow before he loss consciousness.

* * *

Seto was awoken by a loud rapping on the apartment door. He rose groggily and rubbed his head. _That must be Jou._ The last time he had woken up, he had found a note saying that Jou had gone out to get groceries, and to help himself to whatever was in the kitchen. He started with the beer holding down the note. Seto must have been more tired than he thought; he had fallen asleep again soon after finishing his drink.

"Hold on, I'm coming," Seto said, searching through the mess on the floor for his clothes. He glanced at the clock. _What an ungodly hour to wake someone up. _The numbers on the clock did not fully register until a few moments later. It was early morning. He had missed his appointment with Toyoshima.

Seto briefly considered fleeing, but quelled the thought. Jou's apartment was much too high up. The banging on the door grew more insistent. He gave up on finding his own clothing and rummaged through the dresser for something that might fit him. Seto chose a pair of worn khakis and a plain, white t-shirt and dressed quickly.

Seto finally opened the door to find his brother, Mokuba, and one of his maids, Suchin Morishita. Mokuba smiled brightly and proceeded to examine the apartment like a curious cat, but Suchin's eyes were red from sobbing. She entered the apartment, closing the door behind her.

"Mr. Kaiba, you're in danger!"

Seto sighed.

"I know. Mokuba and I will have to leave."

"No, you don't understand," Suchin said. She explained what had happened. "I didn't recognize him then, but it was your friend, Mr. Jounouchi."

Seto's heart nearly stopped. He backed up and fell into a chair to assess the situation. Suchin's naivety was endearing, assuming that Seto would risk his life, and probably Mokuba's, to rescue anyone, even a friend. The intelligent thing would be to go into hiding. Someone else would have to take over the company; his accounts would have to be closed. Seto and Mokuba Kaiba would have to die. He would get new documents made with different names, birth dates. . . .

Seto shook his head. She was right, of course. Rescuing Jou was exactly what he would do. Mokuba still had to be hidden, though. Out of the country, with someone he could trust. Seto narrowed his eyes.

"'Suchin' isn't a Japanese name," he said. Suchin nodded.

"It's Thai. That's where my mother is from."

"Do you have any relatives in Thailand?"

"Yes, almost all of my mother's family lives there."

Seto called Mokuba over.

"Listen carefully. You are going to take a trip with Mrs. Morishita."

"What about school?" Mokuba asked.

"Don't worry about that. The important thing to remember is that you are not Mokuba Kaiba. You are Mrs. Morishita's son, and you and your family will be visiting some relatives in Thailand."

Seto turned to Suchin.

"Some documents will be delivered to your house by noon, and a large bonus will be placed in your bank account. Leave as soon as possible. I'll have your husband's company give him an extended, paid vacation. Also, tell Mokuba about your family before you get to the airport. He needs to know everything that your children know."

Mokuba frowned.

"But where'll you be?"

"Just attending to some business matters. I'll see you later, OK?"

Seto stood up and hugged him.

"Goodbye, Mokuba, Suchin. Good luck."

They said their goodbyes and left. Seto took out his cell phone. With any luck, he would be on his way to finding Jou by tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.: Again, thanks for all the reviews. Actually, the start of summer vacation isn't going to help my writing, because I'm just finishing my year off between high school and college. If anything, I'm going to be more busy now preparing for college. Also, I'd like to remind you all to not assume anything. I can't promise that any characters will get out of this story alive. However, I also can't promise that anyone will die. Even whatever plans I have right now may change. Suggestions and complaints are always welcome. I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Update: Thank you, Amonae! I think I've fixed it now. 6/26/04- I promise I have not given up on this story. I haven't been well lately, but I'm getting better. I can sit at the computer again, so the next chapter should be done within a week. 9/12/04- Does this note need to be any longer? Chapter 8 coming soon. I just realized that what I had meant to be the beginning of chapter 8 ought to be the end of this chapter instead. At nearly three in the morning. ::yawn:: At least I don't have classes tomorrow. My dormmate's going to strangle me with the mouse cord.

Jou tried to open his eyes. He could not. As he regained consciousness, he realized that he was bound, nude, and lying on a cold, stone floor. A leather strap was fastened around his head to obstruct his vision. A gag of some sort kept his mouth open. His wrists were fastened together behind him, and his hands were balled into fists and wrapped tightly in small, leather bags. Each of his ankles was attached to a wooden pole that spread his legs apart.

At first, Jou moved around as best he could and tried to free himself. Nothing loosened. His head still hurt, and he could find no comfortable position in which to lie. He drifted in and out of sleep for what could have been days or hours. As the pain in his head lessened, the pain in his stomach grew. Jou had had nothing to eat since before Seto had arrived at his apartment.

He was nearing sleep again when he heard the door open. The sound of heavy footsteps came closer.

"Awake yet?" Toyoshima said. He kicked Jou in the stomach and laughed when the boy cried out.

"Ah, I'm sure you regret your actions now. What did he pay you, hmm?"

Toyoshima paced around Jou.

"Poor little decoy. At this very moment, Kaiba is rushing his brother out of the country, and probably making plans for himself as well. Now, what shall I do with you?"

Jou tried to focus on breathing calmly, tried to not listen to the words that seemed to come from everywhere at once in the echoing room like the voice of a god. He tried to not let himself panic. But how could he? Wherever Seto was, he was not safe. Wherever Seto was, he was not coming for Jou.

Jou panicked. Toyoshima must have noticed Jou's quickened breaths, for he laughed again.

"All records of your existence have been erased. You are at my mercy now."

The pacing footsteps ceased, and Jou felt hands grab at his hair.

"I think I'll keep you as a pet."

His head was moved back and forth. A shoe nudged at his side. Jou involuntarily cringed as he realized he was being examined.

"Yes, I think I could get a few years of use out of you."

Toyoshima walked back towards the door and chuckled.

"In fact, you've come just in time. A few old friends are visiting tonight, and you will be perfect after-dinner entertainment. Behave well and you may get some dinner yourself."

The door shut. Jou was alone. As he tried to sleep again, he realized that he was no longer hungry.

* * *

Seto finally closed his computer and lay back on the limousine seat. All the arrangements for Mokuba's trip were completed, and guards had been hired just in case. An hour of phone calls and internet searches had confirmed that Toyoshima had not had any of Mokuba, Jou, or Seto's vital records deleted, and it was probable that he did not even know who Jou was yet. Seto had documents for the three of them sealed away in safety deposit boxes in multiple countries, hoping that at least one set for each would be safe if the worst happened. The only thing left to do was figure out how he could rescue Jou.

Disguising himself as another businessman was out of the question; Toyoshima would not be fooled by the same trick twice. Sneaking in would be impossible. He would have to go straight to Toyoshima and bribe him with something else. _What do I have that he can't get anywhere else?_ Seto shuddered. He only hoped Jou hadn't suffered much.

* * *

It was early evening. Toyoshima was cutting into his steak when a servant timidly approached. He made a mental note of the man's name; Toyoshima hated to be interrupted in front of guest.

"I am sorry, sir, but Mr. Kaiba is here to see you. He said it was urgent," the servant whispered.

Toyoshima grinned.

"Have another place set at the table."

The servant bowed and scurried from the room. "Well, gentlemen, it seems we have an unexpected guest tonight," Toyoshima announced. "Seto Kaiba will be joining us."


	7. Chapter 7

A.N.: I deeply apologize for taking so long to update. I can't promise that future updates will come sooner. Oh, the writing I still have left to do. Classes, scholarships, ugh. I wish there was a fan fiction writing scholarship. Heh, anyways, as always, suggestions will be welcome. I do have a nice, violent idea for how this story could end, but somehow I think there might be something better out there. Also, I still do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

There was sound. A distant vibration. _Food?_ No, no reason bother hoping for anything. No good in that. Jou needed to resign himself to his future. For Seto. It sounded like a revelation now.

He had allowed his mind to wander, disjointed, on basic concepts. He was hungry again. He was thirsty. Despite all the sleep he had gotten, he was tired. It was not good sleep. His body ached. Jou did not bother to struggle or scream. For one thing, being bound and gagged, what little of that he could do wouldn't be effective. But more importantly, it would defeat his purpose. Him being here meant Seto was out there, free. Gone. Saved. He could not believe what Toyoshima said; that was Toyoshima's game.

Jou had lost all track of time, but he was sure Seto and Mokuba must be beyond Toyoshima's reach by now. That was all Jou would allow himself to think of the situation. He did not want to dwell on Seto, on why he was sacrificing himself for a former rival. A friend. A . . . no, he did not need to wish Seto here. It was a contest of wills, right? Just like before. Jou wouldn't give in to any weakness. Just like with. . . . Jou thought about the floor again. Cold. _No!_ No good. Pain. Yes, that was safe. He thought about his stiff muscles, his throbbing head. Pounding, pounding. Just like footsteps. They were footsteps. The sound.

Someone was coming. The door opened, and in came the footsteps. In rolled something big, heavy. A smaller door creaked, and Jou was grabbed by the shoulders and shoved onto a cold, metal floor. A voice trying to be hard demanded that he get on his knees, and he was yanked into position. The little door closed, and was locked. The lighting around Jou changed. The heavy something rolled again, and Jou rolled with it. The big door closed.

_Must be time for Toyoshima to play with his new toy_, Jou thought venomously. No, that would not do at all. Survival went by different rules now, right? He was going to endure anything they put him through, and he was going to get his dinner. He did not need to struggle or make things any harder on himself, because he was stronger than Toyoshima and his sick cronies. It was just a test to see how much he could take. Jou just hoped he could remember all this when it really counted.

* * *

Seto sat among the other businessmen, waiting. They had been moved to a rather small, dimly lit room. In full light, it must have been decorated in a bright red, but Seto guessed it was never used except for what Toyoshima had called "after-dinner entertainment." As it was, the colors of the room were faded to a dull red that reminded Seto of drying blood. 

Against one wall were four fine, old, wooden armoires, with a large gap between the second and third. Plush, burgundy chairs had been arranged in a semi-circle facing these armoires, with end tables to the right of each chair to hold drinks and ashtrays. The room was so small that the middle chair was nearly touching the wall behind it. Still, there was space enough for whatever Toyoshima might want brought before them. Seto had an ill feeling that he knew what was coming. The men around him were barely bothering to hide their perverted grins, figuring that if Seto was not already in on the game, he soon would be.

Minutes later, a door on the left side of the room opened, and a cart carrying a large, covered box was rolled into the room. Two of Toyoshima's bodyguards, present where ever he went, lifted the box and placed it in front of the space between the armoires. Something within the box made a noise, a human noise. The cart was rolled out again, and Toyoshima stood up.

"Gentlemen, I believe you are in for a real treat tonight. To begin with, I have recently acquired a fresh, male specimen in full health. Energetic, aesthetically pleasing, and entirely new to our, eh, business."

Seto's heart felt like lead. No. Oh, no. Of course, this was what he had expected, was it not? He quickly glanced around the room. Armed bodyguards stood in every corner. There was no chance to grab Jou and run for it. Then again, he had expected that, too. His plan had been to talk to Toyoshima in private and try to make a sort of trade. He hadn't had a chance yet. It would be just like Toyoshima to force Seto into humiliating himself in front of his peers. "To begin with," Toyoshima had said. Seto realized that he would probably be part of the entertainment as well.

Toyoshima grabbed the top of the cloth covering the box and yanked it off, revealing that it was, in fact, a cage. Jou was in the middle of it, on his knees, legs spread, hands behind him, and blindfolded. Seto shot up.

"Mr. Toyoshima, please--" he began, but Toyoshima shook his head and motioned Seto back into his seat.

"Now, now, Kaiba, hadn't you better wait and see what else I have planned? Young people, always in a rush," Toyoshima chuckled apologetically. He nodded towards guard stationed by the door, who opened it. Once again, the cart was rolled in, this time carrying a large, metal chair into which a dark-haired boy was strapped. Mokuba. The chair was set to the left of the cage. Now Seto could see the wires crawling over the chair and its occupant, and the remote now in the guard's hands.

The man pushed a button, and Mokuba jolted awake. He looked into the faces of the men, and his eyes rested on Seto. The boy let out a strange cry. With dread, Seto realized why. He was trying to call Seto's name, but his tongue had been removed. This time Seto could not move. He sat frozen in pure shock.

"You see what rewards patience can bring, Kaiba? Well, gentlemen, shall we begin?"


	8. Chapter 8

_A.N.: This is a newly censored version of chapter 8. You're not missing much. Enjoy._

"T-t-toyoshima," Seto stuttered, "M-may I please have a w-word with you? In . . . private?"

"Of course, of course. If you will excuse me, gentlemen," Toyoshima said, guiding Seto into the hallway. Two guards came with them; the rest gathered around Jou and Mokuba. Seto took a deep breath as the door was shut behind them.

"I would like to propose a trade."

"Ah, so now you are ready to co-operate, Kaiba?" Toyoshima attempted a nearly human smile. "It's too bad it had to come to this, eh? I wonder just how much you would be willing to give to go back to our original agreement." Seto opened his mouth to speak, but Toyoshima stopped him. "Unfortunately -- for you -- we no longer have that option. We must take into account the costs of concealing the deaths of Suchin Morishita and her family, and the disappearance of your servant here, this . . . Katsuya Jounouchi, at least. Now, you should know that Mokuba has not been violated. Mutilated, yes, but not violated. Not yet, anyways. I do not know how long I can reasonably keep my associates away from such an admirable plaything. I'm sure they have already started on your servant."

Seto grabbed Toyoshima's arm, and the guards stepped closer. Toyoshima waved them back.

"Me!" Seto cried, "Every night, for a -- no, three months, completely willing. I keep my place, you keep yours, everything goes back to normal."

Toyoshima smiled and nodded, ready to agree with this, when Seto added, "For both of them." Toyoshima started.

"Both of them? Whatever for?"

Seto opened his mouth, but found he did not know what to say. If Toyoshima knew how much Jou's safety meant to Seto, the price would be massively increased. Obviously, Toyoshima hadn't discovered their connection yet, or. . . . Seto realized with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that Mokuba's torture was meant to be the bait. He felt a momentary flash of anger. If Jou had just left it alone, Mokuba would be healthy and oblivious to the horrors he had experienced here. Maybe he had meant well, but didn't they say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Seto knew what he wanted to say.

"Because I'm not a cruel, heartless bastard," Seto replied. _Like you._ To his relief, Toyoshima's expression did not change.

"Yes, I'm afraid not everyone has this benefit. You will learn, though. You will learn. Of course, this raises the cost to . . . six months?"

"Four."

"Five."

"Four and two weeks."

Toyoshima nodded and stuck out his hand. Seto shook it.

"I will have the documents drawn up tonight. I don't suppose you would consider leaving them with me overnight?"

Seto shook his head, and one of the guards left, presumably to do the paperwork.

"Well, then, you had better see to them before my guests grow bored with your servant and move on to your brother. The guards can only protect him until the men get too insistent, you know."

It was a moment before the full meaning of those words registered in Seto's mind. He yanked open the door.

"Jou!"

* * *

Jou's determination to win nearly dissolved the moment he heard Seto's voice. _I'm saved_, he thought, and almost simultaneously, _he's got Seto._ His eyes involuntarily watered with tears of relief and despair. Now all he had to do was stay reasonably calm. Maybe the situation was better than it sounded. Maybe Seto really had the upper hand. He didn't dare try to imagine what the rest of Toyoshima's "surprise" was. Some torture device, Jou assumed. 

Jou listened as it was rolled into the room. Yes, it was heavy enough. He forced himself to imagine the best. Maybe it was just a bed, to display Toyoshima's intentions with Jou and trick Seto into doing something stupid. Then he heard the sound. A human voice garbled around words that sounded almost familiar. And was the voice itself not familiar as well? _Mokuba._ Jou wanted to sob. Seto did not have the upper hand at all. Mokuba was here, too, obviously gagged, and probably restrained in some sadistic way.

"Well, gentlemen, shall we begin?" Toyoshima said.

Jou's blood ran cold. He heard to Seto's stuttered plea, heard the door shut.

"Mr. Toyoshima's orders are to stay away from the little one here, but you are free to entertain yourselves with the blonde in any way you choose, provided you leave him alive and relatively uninjured. You are also encouraged to use the items in the armoires."

There was a rustle of clothing and the sound of excited mumbling. Jou could hear the men coming closer, moving things around behind him. He heard the small, squeaky door just in front of him open. Afterwards, all he could recall about the events that followed were hands. Hands all over him, and pain.

By the time Seto reached for the door, Jou had passed out, battered and bleeding, splattered with fluids inside and out. It was as if the men knew they would only be able to steal a few moments of pleasure. A limp doll was not as much fun, though, so they began questioning the guards about when they would be allowed to have the boy. They were figuring out who should go first and how long each would be allowed so that he would last longer than the first when Toyoshima and Seto returned.

"Jou!"

Seto rushed into the room, then hesitated. Jou had been left alone now; the men were gathering around Mokuba. He turned to Toyoshima.

"I would appreciate it if you would remove these two from their bondages and have them placed in a separate room where they can wait for me."

"As you wish. They are yours now."

Toyoshima nodded to his men. "Move them to the recovery room to have their injuries patched up." He then turned to Seto. "It would be most convenient if you could start your payments at once, don't you agree? The more vicious tools will be returned to their places, of course. No noticeable change in your condition should be obvious afterwards."

Seto reluctantly nodded. It was the best he could hope for. He began to quickly undress, and was ordered to slow down. He watched from the corner of his eye as Jou and Mokuba were removed from the room, one still out cold and the other sobbing harshly. Seto hoped Toyoshima was keeping his word.

Seto was already shivering under the lustful gaze of the eyes crawling over his body. He made himself focus on his brief time with Jou. It seemed like years ago now. The past few days and nights had been crawling by at a snail-like pace. _And this_, he thought, _will probably be the longest night of all._


	9. Chapter 9

A.N.: I'm staying in the dorm this weekend, so I finally have a free moment to write. Heh, we'll just pretend I don't have any Spanish homework or a paper on Veelas to write until Sunday evening, OK? I'm glad the tongue removing from back in chapter 8 was so effective as to produce that shocked review. That was the intended purpose. My original plan was for Mokuba to be dead, but for Jou and Seto to not find out until a later chapter. I decided instead I wanted something that would creep out even me. I'm a bit desensitized to death, but old style insane asylum "treatments" and inquisition type torturing (is there much of a difference?) give me nightmares. So, on with the story! I still do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

The backseat of the limousine was silent. Seto sat with his arms around Mokuba; Jou sat beside Mokuba but a little apart. None of them were quite willing to admit that what had been done to them was not just some nightmare they had had. As long as they kept silent, they figured they could pretend that they were awake now and everything was OK. Mokuba especially.

For Seto, though, the nightmare was not over. Jou and Mokuba would be permanently scarred, yes, but if Seto did what he was told, they would be able to move on. _Three months and two weeks . . . minus one._ He tried to count the days in his head so he could chant them like a mantra. _Only 104 days of --_

It had not been violent. Jou had been the appetizer, devoured with ferocious hunger. They were slower with Seto, almost gentler. They took turns, one at a time, ordering him around. It was like he was a prostitute, not an unwilling victim. Not that he dared act in any other way. In a way, though, it was true. There were plenty of strippers and prostitutes forced to sell themselves to pay for their survival, or their children's survival. Seto's situation was not so different. _A comforting thought_, he mused, knowing it was not comforting at all but sad that such things were allowed to happen.

When Jou was let off in front of his apartment building, he walked away without a word. Seto waved half-heartedly before the door was shut, a sick feeling washing over him. Of course Jou would not want to see him anymore. This realization was somehow worse than nearly everything that had happened so far. It was like the end of the world. Nothing else mattered now. Jou was lost to him forever.

Seto held Mokuba tighter, his last reason for being. It was not much longer before the limousine stopped in front of their mansion and they were forced to move again. Seto kept an arm around Mokuba, who shuffled listlessly beside him, refusing to look up. The door closed behind them and the butler approached Seto anxiously.

"Are you quite all right, Mr. Kaiba? Please forgive me for prying, but you do look dreadfully pale."

"I'm fine," Seto sighed. _Time to face reality again. _"Mokuba is not, though. Is there a doctor in this city especially known for respecting their patient's privacy?"

"Yes, sir, I'll have him called right away. Should I have the cooks fix breakfast now?"

Seto nodded. He was about to lead Mokuba to his bedroom when the butler spoke again.

"Before you leave, I have a message for you, sir. Mr. Toyoshima called and said that he would be staying at his Domino City residence for the next four months if you need to meet with him."

"Thank you," Seto murmured, purposefully ignoring the inquisitive look Mokuba was giving him. When they reached Mokuba's room, the boy grabbed the nearest pencil and scrap of paper.

"What's he doing here?" he wrote, shoving the paper in front of Seto's face.

"Who do you mean?" Seto asked. Mokuba glared at him.

"Oh, Toyoshima?"

Mokuba nodded.

"Just business. Strictly business," he said, a bit more shakily than he intended. Seto could tell that Mokuba did not believe him. "It's nothing you need to worry about. Just go to bed. You need rest."

Mokuba grabbed the paper back and wrote another message.

"Tell me!"

Seto turned away.

"I'll send your breakfast up here when it's done, and the doctor should be here soon. Go to bed _now_."

He walked out, slammed the door shut, then rushed to his own room and locked the door before Mokuba could follow him.

* * *

Mokuba watched the new maid run crying from Seto's office and sighed. He entered the office and took out his notepad and pencil.

"Fourth one this week. What happened this time?"

Seto turned his eyes away from the computer screen just long enough to read the note.

"She said I work too much and need to get out more. I don't think it's really any of her business what I do."

"She was right."

"It's none of your business either. Shouldn't you be studying for something?"

"Summer break, Seto. And it is my business. Visit Jou."

"He wouldn't want to see me. If I hadn't told him about Toyoshima, Jou wouldn't have been -- wouldn't have gotten in Toyoshima's way. Besides, he'd have called by now."

"Or maybe he thinks that you don't want to see him, so he's sitting at home all sad and lonely. He needs to be comforted."

Mokuba smirked as he wrote this.

"No he doesn't," Seto growled. "He practically _lives_ at Mutoh's house now. Jou's got all the comfort he needs."

Mokuba rolled his eyes.

"I get it. You're jealous."

"I'm being realistic."

"You're being stupid. They're just friends. Visit Jou. I bet he wants to talk to someone who understands."

"Well maybe I don't want to talk to him!" Seto shouted.

"Immature."

Mokuba tore off the note and left it on Seto's desk, then left the room. Seto glared at it for a moment before resuming his work. Of course he wanted to talk to Jou.

His last pleasant memories of Jou were all he had to hold on to sometimes. Seto hardly ever thought of the day that he told Jou about Toyoshima, though. Looking back, it almost seemed like he took advantage of Jou. Jou had seemed so uncertain, and even after he did agree to it, he hardly did anything. Even Toyoshima sometimes lavished more attention upon Seto than Jou had. It made Seto feel sick to think about it.

Jou had never even said he loved him, or liked him, or wanted him at all. He probably _had not_ wanted him. Then, out of that stupid loyalty that had often gotten Jou in trouble before, he went and tried to fool one of the most vicious, powerful men in Japan. If Seto had not been so irresponsible and brought Jou into it, the whole thing would be done by now. Seto would have one bad memory of his first sexual experience to bury in the back of his mind forever, and no one else would be hurt. That was they way it should have been, and it was all Seto's fault that it was not. So let Yugi have Jou; Seto did not deserve him.

Besides, Seto was not free to pursue a relationship now. He would not be free for another month, and he did not dare bring anyone else into his problems, now. He had learned from his mistakes. The more he kept to himself, the better. And _that_ was the way it was supposed to be.

* * *

"You should visit him, Jou."

Jou sighed. He wished Yugi would not bring it up again.

"He doesn't want me to visit. I ruined everything."

Yugi patted his shoulder.

"No, you had good intentions. That cruel man deserves all the blame. You're just letting him win if you allow this to ruin your friendship with Seto."

Jou nodded. Yugi grabbed Jou's face and looked into his eyes.

"I _mean_ it, Jou! Stop doing this to yourself, and stop doing this to Seto! He's even worse off than you. At least you've got friends; Seto only has Mokuba, and who knows if he really wants to talk to his little brother about something like this. He needs you."

"I . . . I don't know, Yugi. I don't know."

Jou leaned back on Yugi's couch and closed his eyes.

"Fine, just drown yourself in misery. I have to go meet Anzu now."

He got up and walked towards the door.

"You think about what I said, though, all right Jou? Just go visit him. The worst he can do is turn you away, and even that's not so much worse than what you're doing to yourself now, is it? At least then you'll be able to move on."

Jou waited until the door was shut to mutter a reply.

"I don't want to move on. I just want Seto."


	10. Chapter 10

A.N.: I really don't have much to say this time. Eh, comments and suggestions are welcome as always. Even if it's just an odd phrasing or something, I really don't mind mistakes being pointed out. Anyways, enjoy the story! I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Jou leaned against one wall of the foyer, waiting. All the courage he had built up on the way to Seto's mansion was draining away with each passing moment. How could he have thought Seto might ever want to see him again? Yugi was wrong, Jou decided. Now that he had finally come, he was sure Seto would throw him out, and any hopes of ever seeing him again would be crushed. Damn Yugi and his convincing speeches.

No, that was not right. It was not Yugi's speech that had convinced him to finally see Seto. It was a temporary insanity resulting from a few months of boredom, of wallowing in misery, of inaction. That was what had prompted him to visit Seto with such a weak, almost inappropriate excuse. Seto likely wouldn't even remember when he and Jou had seen the previews for the movie opening today, or their decision to see it when it came out.

In fact, Jou had hardly remembered until he saw the commercial declaring that the movie was finally in theaters. At the time, it had seemed like an omen, so, impulsive as usual, he had come to visit Seto without another thought. Now, all those things he should have thought were catching up with him. Staring down at the floor, he was so convinced that he would soon be told to leave that when he heard a familiar voice quietly greeting him, he nearly died of shock.

"Seto! I -- I missed you, man. So, you, uh, wanna go see that movie?"

Seto looked at him quizzically, then nodded and told the butler to have the limousine readied. _As long as I can keep him at a _distance, Seto thought, _it shouldn't hurt to just have a little fun. It'll get Mokuba off my back, at least. _Jou grew bolder. "So, how have you and Mokuba been?"

"Fine," Seto said, "Mokuba's adapting."

Seto narrowed his eyes. "No plans with Mutoh today?"

_What's this about? _Jou thought. _Is he jealous or something?_

"Oh, no," Jou replied, "he's spending the day with Anzu. They're dating."

"I see."

The butler announced that the limo was waiting.

"Well, let's get going," Jou said, smiling. He put a hand on Seto's shoulder, and Seto involuntarily cringed. Both his shoulders were bruised from being frequently slammed onto hard surfaces. He cursed himself for being so weak as to react like that to a little pain, knowing that Jou would probably move his hand now. Seto would have given almost anything for one of Jou's kind, friendly touches. Anything, that is, except for an explanation of why he had cringed. He refused to allow Jou to be brought into any more of his problems.

"Sorry," Jou mumbled, lowering his hand. _I should have come sooner._ "Poor Seto" sounded so patronizing, but it was the only thing that came to mind. Surrounded by friends, Jou had already begun to get his life back to normal. Seto obviously was not even ready to be touched. He cursed himself for being so selfish; they should have been working to get through this together. The best Jou could do now was try and make up for lost time.

As they walked out to the limousine, Jou raised his hand again, gently patted Seto's shoulder, and was rewarded with a weak smile. The rush of emotion that he felt in reaction to this one small smile made him suddenly realize what he had known subconsciously at least since he had decided to sacrifice himself to save Seto from Toyoshima. Jou returned the smile with one of his own.

"I love you, Seto."

Seto froze.

"I . . . I . . . Jou. . . ."

He shook his head. "I can't -- " He paused. "I can't go with you today. No. I have too much work to do. I'm sorry." He turned back; Jou's face fell.

"No," Jou said. He turned around and grabbed Seto's arm.

Seto paled slightly and tried to save face with a stern look.

"Let go of me, To--Jounouchi."

"No! You can't let what that asshole did control your life! I bet you haven't been out of this place for anything but business for three months."

Seto bit his tongue and said nothing. _Leave it alone, Jou. _Jou took his silence for assent and continued.

"See? It's not healthy to just bury yourself in work. I'm getting you to that movie if it's the last thing I do!"

"It's not that -- that I don't want to go. I . . . just don't -- I can't be involved in a relationship right now. It _was_ only three months ago."

"I'm sorry, OK?" Jou sighed. "I say what I feel without thinking, you know that. I just want us to be friends again like we were before Toyoshima. I worry about you, Seto." He released his hold on Seto's arm. "You said you love me once, so trust me. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't wanna do. We can be just friends forever if you want. But you need someone to talk to, someone to keep you from getting so stressed, someone to make you have fun once in a while. No matter what you say, I know you want _that_. Alright?"

Seto considered this. He wanted nothing more than to have Jou back.

"All right. But . . . just friends."

"Just friends. Can we go now?"

Seto nodded. As long as he kept Jou at a distance until he was done repaying Toyoshima, what could be the harm?

* * *

A gray-haired man sat smoking his cigar in a plush chair. A younger man stood to the side of the chair, looking down subserviently. The older man tapped his cigar over a well made ashtray on a stand and spoke to his subordinate.

"Is Kaiba behaving?"

"Yes, sir."

"How many more nights of service does he owe?"

"Roughly thirty-seven, sir."

"Ah, not long at all. Have you found anyone to replace him?"

"Well . . . Kaiba was observed going to a movie theater with the man that we previously assumed to be his servant."

"The blonde?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see," the older man chuckled. "So Kaiba thinks he's clever, hmm? I could have gotten another few months out of him had I known they were friends. Have someone keep an eye on this," he searched his memory, knowing Kaiba had said the blonde's name before, "Jou. If he tried to save Kaiba once before, he can almost certainly be persuaded to do it again."

"As you wish, sir."

"Of course. You may leave."

The older man waved his hand at the younger man as though he was shooing away a young child. He bowed and left the room. The older man put the cigar between his lips and continued smoking.


	11. Chapter 11

_A.N.: Heh, so how many months has it been? Sorry for taking so long. Between the election and college and all, I've hardly had time to write. By the way, the double chapter 11 thing was a mistake. I saw some errors in 11 that had to be fixed, and I accidentally added the revision as a new chapter instead of replacing the old chapter 11. Anyways, feel free to comment! I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh._

Seto sat on his knees by the side of the bed, naked except for the leather, d-ring adorned straps on his ankles, wrists, and neck. Toyoshima was a bit late, as he frequently was, but it did not worry Seto anymore. Toyoshima got all his pleasure out of making people miserable; the trick was not to react. He could see Toyoshima getting bored with him, almost wanting it to be over so he could move on to some new toy.After a few more minutes, Toyoshima finally ambled into the room in his plush red robe. He stood at the doorway looking at Seto appraisingly, displeased with his lack of emotion.

"Last night, eh, Kaiba?"

Seto nodded.

"Maybe . . . maybe I should just let you go. You bore me."

He watched Seto carefully. Not even a hint of joy to kill. Of course he would not give Seto even this one night. Toyoshima shook his head and motioned for a servant to shut the door. Dully, he walked in front of Seto and dropped his robe, imagining that it was not Seto there, but the blonde boy. When the new toy was here, how would he be in Seto's position? Shivering and frightened? Willful and resistant?

Toyoshima grabbed Seto's hair, trying and failing to mentally replace the complacent reaction with struggling and tears. Maybe he should have let Seto go, or passed him off to someone else. He looked down at Seto, wondering how he was getting through this so calmly. Maybe he was imagining someone else, too. At last, a smile crept across Toyoshima's face. Of course Seto was imagining someone else. And who might that be? The new toy, Jounouchi Katsuya. He knew Seto would not have gone to such extremes to protect a mere servant, or even a friend. Now he knew exactly what that boy was to Seto, and the long period of service he could get out of him.

With a disturbing grin that actually shook Seto out of his calm for a moment, Toyoshima shoved Seto away and nearly ran towards the walk-in closet in the corner of the room. He opened the door wide and grabbed a leash from a nearby hook. Seto tried hard not to tremble. He had seen the inside of that closet before. Seto had been so broken after that night that his business acquaintances began to ask questions, so he had never been brought there again. All of Toyoshima's best, or rather, worst, toys were hidden away there. Seto may as well have given up any appearance of composure; Toyoshima was not really seeing him anymore. Toyoshima's only thoughts were of covering his favorite instruments with a fresh coat of the Seto's blood, then doing the same with Jounouchi before it dried.

* * *

Jou looked at the clock. Someone was knocking on his door.

"Keep your shirt on, I'm comin'."

Still half asleep, Jou managed to groggily amble towards the door and yank it open, only to find himself staring at a well-groomed, handsome young man flanked by two hulking bodyguards. Jou stared at the man. Dark brown hair and eyes, a face that would have turned his head under other circumstances, and somehow he looked . . . familiar. The man smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Jounouchi. I apologize for waking you at this hour, but I'm afraid you must come with us."

He frowned a little. "You may dress first."

Jou stood dumbly in the doorway.

"What?"

"My employer requests your presence at his estate."

Jou stared at him in disbelief.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I don't care what your employer _requests_, he can just shove it! It's two in the goddamned morning!"

The man looked at Jou like he was a naughty child.

"Now, now, I had hoped you would come along willingly, but Mr. Toyoshima has allowed me to use force if necessary."

He nodded towards the men behind him and waited for the message to sink in. Jou blanched and tried to slam the door, but one of the bodyguards held it open. Within moments they had him gagged and held securely between them. The man, Toyoshima's most trusted right-hand man, in fact, shook his head. "You see, now we'll have to bring you in your underwear. Very undignified."

_Poor kid._

The man walked quickly back down the hall, and the bodyguards followed him. He wanted to get back in time to rest before he was called again. These days, he needed all the sleep he could get.

* * *

Had it only been seven hours since he had last lain in this bed, safe and comfortable? Jou buried his face in the pillow. Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe he had never left Toyoshima's mansion; maybe he was dreaming even now. Or was Toyoshima just a nightmare? He was too tired, too broken, to try to find the reality in all this. In such a vivid dream, did it matter?

The blood was real, seeping from wounds that he had rubbed raw under hot water a thousand times. The bruises, the burns, all the tender marks covering him inside and out. Marks. Jou shuddered. He was marked. The words brought up an image of Toyoshima's name being burned into his skin. That wasn't right, though.

No, Toyoshima had burned his very essence into Jou's body. Jou's heart clenched and he shot up off the bed. He was standing under the hot water again, tricking himself into believing he was clean. Here, he could think more clearly. Here, he might dare to think of the future. How to go about his daily life, what to tell Seto. Try as he might, he couldn't attach any hate to the name, though he probably had more reason to now than he ever had.

For Seto, he went against all instinct and gave in to Toyoshima. For Seto, he let the bad guy win. For Seto, he was Toyoshima's until the man grew tired of him, until he was dull and used up and destroyed beyond repair. Then, he would be no one's. Not his anymore, not Seto's, not anyone's ever. Then he would crawl up forever in some corner of his mind until his body died and rotted.

Jou couldn't even work up the spirit to be angry with himself for giving up. All he had gone through, all his trouble, just to give in to some rich pervert. He would be tempted to give in completely and leave this ruined shell behind if it wouldn't just put Seto in this same Hell. What Jou really wanted was to go back to his time of innocence, before he knew just how corrupt a human could be. Oh, sure, he had read about child molesters and rapists and murderers, about the demonic leaders of the past and present, but now he had experienced it, now he _understood._ And to think he had supposed himself so experienced and capable when he left Seto in his bed and presented himself to Toyoshima. It was almost funny.

Jou was on the bed again, all thoughts of plans forgotten. If he didn't give up himself, he had to give up Seto. If he gave up Seto, he was giving up himself. His thoughts lost any touch of coherence, and he drifted into sleep. Mere sleep gave way to dreams, dreams gave way to nightmares, and somewhere Jou wondered if he would ever have a peaceful dream again.


	12. Chapter 12

_A.N.: Hey, look, a nifty disclaimer has already been added! Useful. I don't really like this chapter, but this is all first draft stuff anyway. Maybe if I just finish it, I'll be able to revise it all into something decent. I've added an Alternate Universe warning because there are so many original characters now, and this was meant to be set after Yu-Gi-Oh ends. It has ended now, but I haven't seen the show or read the books up to that point, and now there's that GX series about which I know even less. All comments will be valued and possibly used during revision, if it ever happens._

Shojun studied the stones at his feet. Father had never brought him along on business, so Shojun did not know why he had done so today. Father had been so unusually nice to him all morning. With Mother no longer around to protect him, Shojun assumed Father would send him to live with relatives any day now. Maybe Father valued him more than he thought. Shojun looked up quickly when he heard his name. "Sixteen, you say?"

Shojun stood up straight and smiled as the man look him over. _Toyoshima_, Shojun thought. _I wonder when he's going to invite us in._ From what little Shojun had heard, the men were making some kind of trade. It seemed a little strange to conduct business on a porch, even if it was outside a mansion. "He's small for sixteen."

Father nodded.

"Yes, he has his mother's build."

Toyoshima chuckled.

"But not her spirit, I hope."

"Oh, no, Shojun is very submissive. With proper motivation, he could be made to do anything."

Shojun forced himself not to cower when Toyoshima looked at him again. He felt oddly like a fish in the market. Toyoshima smiled and handed a check to Father.

"Welcome to my household, Shojun."

"Wh-what?"

Shojun looked around, but Father was already leaving. "I don't understand."

Toyoshima put his arm around Shojun's shoulders.

"Come along and I'll explain it to you."

Toyoshima opened the door. All Shojun could see was hands. Hands in the darkness, grabbing at him. When Toyoshima pushed him in, he screamed.

Shojun, Toyoshima's right hand man for much of nineteen years since Shojun had been sold to him, awoke in a chair outside of Toyoshima's bedroom. The only sounds were Toyoshima's grunts and the bed's rhythmic groans. The new boy could be dead for all anyone in the mansion knew or cared. Toyoshima would finish up regardless. When the noises stopped, Shojun stood and prepared to grab the doorknob. "Shojun!"

Shojun entered the room, eyes lowered.

"Yes, sir?"

Toyoshima rolled off the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

"Get him dressed and send him home."

"Yes, sir."

Shojun swept his eyes over the boy on the bed. Jounouchi had been quite handsome. Now, he was only another empty shell soon to be discarded. Someone like that could be desperate. There should have been guards posted nearby. There would have been, a few years ago. Shojun filed the thought away for later. "Sit up, Jounouchi. Time to go."

Shojun grasped Jounouchi's shoulders and pulled him up. "Come on, go find your clothes."

Jounouchi blinked.

"My—? Oh."

He pushed himself off the bed, grimacing, and began to collect his clothes from around the room. Shojun allowed Jounouchi to lean on him for support as he dressed, then led him through the labyrinth of hallways to a plain car waiting for them outside. Shojun handed Jounouchi's address to the driver and leaned against the window. Jounouchi followed, curling up in the opposite corner when the door was shut. He stared out the window, silently, until the car turned onto his street. "Why?" Jounouchi murmured. "Why do you help him? How much do you get paid to do this?"

Shojun looked at him and sighed.

"He doesn't pay me. He owns me."

Jounouchi sat up a little.

"No. That's—he can't do that."

"Why not? There's a thriving international slave trade funded by people like Toyoshima. They're taken right off the streets every day to be chained to a farm or a bed."

"But that's illegal!"

Shojun smiled.

"What, like murder and rape?"

Jounouchi leaned back in his seat.

"So you were kidnapped and sold to Toyoshima."

Shojun shook his head.

"One of those businessmen who flock around him is my father. He sold me to Toyoshima. He probably thought I'd be passed around and used to an early death like most sex slaves."

"How come you weren't?"

Shojun looked away.

"He liked me. Said he saw himself in me. I got my own bedroom. I have a business degree. I'm his heir now, so long as he dies of natural causes."

The car stopped in front of Jounouchi's building.

"Do you think he'll die soon?"

Shojun thought of Toyoshima's creaking joints, weakening heart, and cabinet full of medications. His fatty diet of western foods, his increasing forgetfulness. Carelessness. If no one else had noticed, they would soon, and this world was harsh. Heir or not, Shojun had to take his place before someone else did. He leaned over Jounouchi and opened his door.

"No, not him. He's invincible."


End file.
